Leather-treating machine.



No, senses-.

v Patented Jan. l4, I902. H. A; BALLARD & A. COPELAND.

LEATHER TREATING MACHINE.

(Application flled Sept. 16, 190;.)

7 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

THE upmus PETER! 10.. PHOTO-ma, wAs nmmom a c,

No. 69I,303. Patented Ian. I4, 1902. I

H. A. BALLARD & w. A. COPELAND.

LEATHER TREATING MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 18, 1901.)

7 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

Patented Jan. l4, I902. H. A. BALLARD &. W. A. COPELAND.

LEATHER TREATING MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 18, 1901,)

7 Sheefs.$heet 37 (No Model.)

E NORRIS PETERS 0a., momuma. wnsnmnmn n c N0. 69|,303. Patented .Ian. I4, I902.

H. A. BALLARD & W. A. COPELAND.

LEATHER TREATING MACHINE.

' (Application fi led Sept. 16I 1901.) (No Model.) 7 SheetsSheet 4.

LEATHER TREATING MACHINE.

(Application 'njfe a Sept. 16, 1901. (N 0 M 0 d 6 I.)

'7- Sheets-Sheet 5' m M I Q QIW. r. v E i \ztj I J WIT/b55555:

1m: Ncnms PETEns 00.. PHoYoumu. WASHIHGTO, D. a

- No. 69l,303.

Patented Jan. 14,- I902. n. A. BALLARD & w. A. COPELAND.

LEATHER TREATING MACHINE.

A lication filed Sept. 16, 1901 7 Sheets-Sheet 6.

PH NEH.

(No Model.)

I I I J lllllu WI E5 5 E 5':

Patented Ian. I4 I902. H. A. 'BALLARD 8:. W. A. COPELAND.

v No. 69|,303.

LEATHER TREATING MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 16, 1901.)

(No Model.)

ans co. mmuumo. WASHINGTON u c UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

HARRIE A. BALLARD, OF ASHLAND, AND WILLIAM A. COPELAND, OF MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO THE TURNER TANNING MACHINERY COMP-ANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

LEATHER-TREATING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 691,303, dated January 14, 1902.

I Application filed September 16, 1901. Serial No. 75,553. (No model.)

To all whom it may COW/067%: ing the skin on the end of thesupport; but

Be it known that we, HARRIE A. BALLARD, in order to overcome the lateral thrust upon of Ashland, and \(VILLIAM A. COPELAND, of the skin we employ two members which are Melrose, in thecounty' of Middlesex and State movable in opposite directions, whereby one 5 of Massachusetts,have invented certain new offsets or equalizes the strain of the other.

and useful Improvements in Leather-Treat- These members are so arranged that as the ingMachines, of which the followingisaspecitable emerges from the main working memfication. bers it engages them and moves them along Thisinventionhas relation to machines for with it for a short distance. During this 10 treating hides, skins, and leather, and more movement of the members byasuitable mechparticularly to that class of machines whereanism they, are carried swiftly toward the in the hide or skin is folded about a relaends of the support, so as to wipe or rub the tively fiat table or support and is acted upon skin from its middle toward its side edges. by one or more working surfaces or members When the members reach their outermost po- !5 each consisting ofa plurality of working edges sitions, they are moved bodily out of the path arranged in a substantially flat plane. In of the table or support and permit the latter such machines as exemplified in Letters Patto pass, after which the members are brought cut to Turner, No. 584:,123, dated June" 18, to original position to operate upon the skin 1897, and No. 615,656, dated December 6,1898, of the next succeeding support.

20 the tables or supports are supported upon an It is evident that we may embody ourinendless carrier and are brought successively vention in a variety of ways, and therefore into operative position between the two workthe machine which we have illustrated and ing members, so that the edges of the latter shall now proceed to describe will be underscrape or rub the skin upon the two faces of stood as being merely'one embodiment of the 25 each support or table as the latter passes beinvention, and'that'the invention is not limtween them. In such machines much diifiited to the details of construction thereof. culty has been experienced in uniformly treat- Referring to the accompanying drawings, ing the entire skin or hide, for when the lat- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of ter is folded about the support, so as to lie the machine embodying our improvements.

0 against thefaces thereof, a portion of said Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of the members skin or hide must necessarily lie around the which operate upon the skin on the end of end of the support, which end is usually the support, showing the members in posicurved and is practically inaccessible to the tion to operate upon the work. Fig. 3 is a working members. similar section and illustrates how the table 35 Various attempts have been made to insure or support moves the working members lonthe treatment of that portion of the. skin gitudinally with it. Fig. 4 illustrates the which lies upon the end of the support; but membersin raised position to permit the table 7 so far as we are aware these attempts have to pass underit. Fig. 5 shows the table passnot been productive of the best results. ing under the members. Fig. 6 isa plan view 40 According to our invention we provide one of a portion of the machine. Fig. 7 is a simior more Working members, positioned to enlar view illustrating the position of the memo gage the end of the support, with means bers. after they have completed their lateral whereby said members are moved longitudt movements. Fig. 8 represents a section on nally of the said edge or transversely of the the line 8 8 of Fig. Fig. 9 represents an en- 5 path of movement of the table or support, so larged section through the guide which supt as to subject the skin to the same rubbing or ports the members. 1 treatment as is afforded by the main working On the said drawings we have shownsuitmembers, to which reference has been made. able side standards 20, between which travels an endless carrier '21, supported on sprocket- A single member may be employed for treatwheels 22. The endless carrier is actuated by any suitable power-transmitting mechanism. Operatively connected to the carrier are a plurality of fiat tables or supports 23, each of which is provided with two fiat faces and two curved ends, whereby a skin or hide may be folded over one of the ends of the table, so as to lie against the two flat faces thereof. These tables or supports are carried in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1 between two main working members, (indicated as a whole at 24 25, respectively.) These main working members are made up of a plurality of slickers adapted to engage and treat the skin on the two faces of each support as it passes between them. We have not illustrated the'main working members in detail, having shown them more or less conventionally, since their construction is not material to the present invention.

In front and in rear of-the main working members are placed spirally-bladed rolls 26 .as indicated in Fig. 9.

26 27 27. The function of the first rolls 26 26 is to preliminarily spread and remove from the hide or skin the wrinkles prior to its being acted upon by the Working members 24 25, and the function of the rolls 27 27 is to impart a final polish or rubbing to the skin after it has left the said members. These rolls, to which reference has been made, are driven in any suitable-way.

As thus far described the machine pos sesses no features of our invention, and'we shall now proceed to describe those parts or features which we have added.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 and 6, it will be observed that on each of the side standards of the frame there are two tongued guides 30 30, in which are placed slides 31, having grooves to receive the tongues. These slides are movable in a direction perpendicular to the plane of travel of the tables or supports. Each of the slides is formed with-a groove or way 32, extending with a shoe 34, having rollers 35, lying in the ways or grooves 32. The lower portion of each shoe is curved, as at 36, so that it may rest upon the ends of the tables, as will be subsequently described. The guide or crossbar is normally held at the left end of the ways 32, as shown in Fig. 2, by weights 37, which are connected by chains or flexible connections 38 therewith, said flexible connections passing over idlers 39, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 8, and 9. To limitihe downward movementof the slides, so as to position the guide33, the side frames are provided with pins 40 to engage shoulders 41 on the slides, Normally the guide '33'and the slides drop by gravity to the position shown in Fig. 2, so as to bring the movement of said members.

working members on the guide in position to operate upon the Work. These working members are mounted to slide upon the said guide in a direction transverse to the path of movement of the carriers. Said working members consist in the present instance of two slickerblades 42, which are pivoted at 43 to carriers 44. Springs 45 bear against the members, whereby their pressure against the work is yielding, stops 46 being employed to limit the -Each of the carriers 44 may be provided with tongues 47, extending into longitudinal grooves in the guide 33, or else said carriers may be constructed as shown in Fig. 9, in which each one isprovided with rolls 48, hearing against the guide to reduce friction. The workingmembers 42 are provided with curved operative edges 49, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, so that they are able to treat allot that portion of the skin which lies around the end of the table or support.

In operation the working members 42 lie side by sid'ein the path of the end of the ta ble 43, as shownv in Fig. 2, and, as the table moves along it carries the said members with it, the latter, however, being separated rapidly, so as to wipe the skin from its middle toward its edges, this lateral movement of the members being effected by means which we shall describe. As soonas said members have reached their'outermost positions the slides 32 are raised to disconnect the working members from the skin, andthey are held elevated until the table has passed from beneath them, when they are permitted to drop by gravity to operative position. The working members thus have a movement transverse of the direction of the path of movement of the tables 23 andat the same time are carried along with the tables, the etfect of which is to impart to said members a movement in a direction oblique to the path of movement of said tables. To effect the lateral or transverse movement of said working members 42, the carriers 44 are both provided with upright pins or projections 49. (See Fig. 6.) Between the pins extendthe ends 50 50 of two levers 51 52, which are respectively fulcrumed at 53 54 on a carriage 55, which is mounted to slide laterally in aplate 56, extending from one of the side standards to the other. These two levers are connected by links 57 58 with the opposite ends of a centrally-fulcrumed lever 59, whose pivot or fulcrum 60 is secured to the carriage 55. The lever 51 is connected by a chain or flexible connection 61 with a lever 63, fulcrumed at 64 to the side standards, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Said chain or flexible connection passes around an idler 641, as shown in Fig.-

6. The lever '63 is formed with a shoulder 661, adapted to be engaged by a projection 671 on one of the sprocket-chains 21, so that said lever 63 is moved from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fi 3. This movement of the lever causes it to draw upon the chain 61', with the result that the carriage 55, which, as shown in Fig. 6, is to-one side of the median longitudinal line, (through the machine,) is moved to the middle of the machine, and the levers 51 52 are separated, as clearly shown in Fig. 7. Consequently the ends 50 of the levers are caused to move the working members transversely, so as to wipe, rub, or put out that portion of the skin which lies upon the end of the supporter table. For the purpose of returning the carriage 55 and the levers 51 52 to original position two weight-s 66 67 are employed, they being connected by chains or flexible connections 68 69 with the levers 52 51, respectively, as shown in Fig. 6, said chains passing over idlers 71 on the outer side of the machine. When the working members reach the outermost positions, as previously explained, they are raised to disconnect them from the work, and to this end it will be observed in Figs. 6 and 7 that each of the tables 23 is provided in its front edge with a notch 72 72 to permit the memher to be raised as soon as they register therewith.

In order to raise the working members, the slides 32 are provided with downwardly-extending projections 76, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) which are adapted to be engaged by anglelevers 77, fulcrumed at 78 on both the side standards of the machine. One end of each of these levers lies under the project-ion76, while the other end extends into the path of the projection 67 on the sprocket -'chain. These projections are so located as to en gage the levers 77 and operate them at the proper time to raise the slides 32 from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4, and the guides are held in that position until the projections 67 pass beyond the ends of the lever 77, when the slides drop until the curved portions 36 of the shoes 34 rest upon the outer ends of the table or until said table has passed from under, afterwhich the slides drop into operative position, as shown in Fig. 2. It is evident that to permit this rising and falling of the guide 33, the slides 32, and the working member without affecting the relationship of said working members with the lovers 51 52 the latter must be constructed to move up and down with the said members,and consequently it will be observed from Fig. 2 that the apertures in the ends of the levers through which the f ulcru ms 53 pass are somewhat enlarged. The connections between the links 58 and the lever 59 are likewise loose for the same purpose. It will be observed that the same projections 671 operate the lever 63 and the lever 7 7, they being properly spaced for this purpose; but it is quite evident that difierent projections on the chain may be employed to accomplish the different functions performed by the said projections.

It will be seen in Fig. 2 that immediately above the lever 77 are placed guides 80, which prevent the sprocket-chain from rising when the projections 67 engage said levers, for otherwise the chains might rise when they engage the levers and slide-off without effecting the movement of the levers.

After the wiping members have acted upon a skin, having been moved to the sides of the machine and. elevated, they are returned to original position by the two weights 66 67 and the chains 68 69, hereinbefore referred to, the weights being allowed to act as soon as the lever 63 is released from the-projection 671 on the sprocket-chain 21.

It is thought that a detailed description of the machine, in view of the description which has been previously given, is unnecessary, it sufficingto state that as each table emerges from between the main working members that portion of the'skin which lies upon the end of the table is engaged with and wiped by the members 42 with alateral wiping movement that is,with a movement longitudinally of the end of the table.

lVhile it is not strictly essential that this lateral wiping movement shall be supplemented by a lateral movement of both working members over the middle line of the ta-' ble, yet that is highly desirable, and for that reason both working members are given a lateral motion in the same direction by means of the slide 55 and its'actuating means, as above described.

No do not herein claim to be the first to provide means fortwiping that portion of the skin which lies upon the end of the support, as it forms the subject-matter of the application of Chain and Copeland, Serial No. 75,556, filed September 16, 1901.

What we do claim is- 1. A machine of the character described comprising a work-support having approximately flat faces and an end whereby a skin or hide may be folded over said end to lie against said faces,one or more operating members movable longitudinally of the said end, for treating that portion of the hide or skin which lies upon the said end, and provisions whereby said members are operated.

2. A machine of the character described comprising a work-support having approximately fiat faces and an end, whereby ahide or skin may be folded over the said end to lie against said faces, an operating member movable longitudinally of the said end to treat that portion of the skin or hide which lies thereon, and means for automatically actuatingsaid member.

3. A machine of the character described comprising a work-support having approximately flat faces and an end, whereby a hide or skin may be folded over the said end to lie against said faces, means for moving said support in a plane parallel with its faces, and means movable longitudinally of the end of said support for treating that portion of the skin or hide which lies upon the end of the support.

4. A machine of the character described, comprising a series of traveling fiat supports,

each adapted to have askin or hide stretched around its end, a working member movable transversely of the path of movement of the supports for wiping or treating the skin or hide on the end of each support as it is presented thereto, and means whereby said memher is operated.

5. A machine of the character described comprising a series of traveling fiat supports each adapted to have askin or hide stretched around its end, working members arranged to move in opposite directions across the path of movement of said supports to treat the skin or hide on the end of each support as it is presented thereto, and means for operating said members.

6. A machine of the character referred to comprising a traveling support, a Working member lying in the path of the said support, and means formoving said memberlongitudinally of the end of said support to treat the skin thereon.

'7. A machine of the character referred to comprising a traveling support,working members lying in the path of movement of said support and intermediate of its ends, means for moving said members in opposite directions to wipe the skin on the end of the support, and means whereby said members are moved with the support during their movement in opposite directions.

8. A machine of the character referred to, comprising a support adapted to have a skin folded about its end, a guide arranged transversely of the path of travel of the support, one or more members movably mounted on said guide to treat that portion of the skin or hide which lies on the end of the support, and means for moving said member or members.

9. A machine of the character referred to comprising a support adapted to have'a skin folded about its end, a guide, oppositely-acting members mounted on said support and movable longitudinally of the end of said support to treat that portion of the skin which lies upon the end of the support, and provisions whereby said members are moved as described.

10. A machine of the character referred to comprising a traveling support adapted to have a hide or skin folded around its end, a working member movable longitudinally of the end of said support for engaging and treating the skin on the end of-the support, provisions for moving said member, and means for disengaging said member from said support when it has treated the skin.

11. A machineof the character referred to comprising a traveling support adapted to have a skin or hide folded around its end, a carrier movable in the direction of movement of the support andalso movable longitudinally of the end thereof, a working member on said carrier, provisions whereby said member is actuated, and means for moving said carrier out of the path of movement of said support.

12. A machine of the character referred to comprising a traveling support adapted to have a skin or hide folded around its end, two working members to operate on that part of the skin folded around the end of the support, and means to first move these working members together longitudinally of the end of the support, ahd next move them in opposite direetions one toward one side, the other toward the other side of the support.

In testimony whereof we have afiixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

HARRIE A. BALLARD. WILLIAM A. COPELAND.

\Vitnesses:

MARCUS B. MAY, 0. O. STEoHER. 

